1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to portable work platforms for use in vehicles and to a work platform for portable computing devices in particular.
Millions of professionals conduct business from their vehicles using their laptop computers, electronic tablets, personal digital assistants or other similar devices. Frequently, this entails accessing information before or entering information after a sales or service call. Unfortunately, there is no convenient means to use a laptop computer in the car while in the driver's seat. When a laptop computer is placed against the steering wheel, it slides right off unless one or both hands of the user provide the necessary support. This does not leave the hands free to work on the keyboard and is unsatisfactory. Thus, the steering wheel is frequently a hindrance than a help. Typically, one has to twist his body sideways to use the adjacent seat as a work surface, or slide the driver's seat all the way back in hopes of gaining sufficient lap room to work with a computer. The associated discomfort and inconvenience discourage the timely recording of information, resulting in decreased productivity.
2. Description of Prior Art
The applicant is aware of several prior art, but none is considered particularly relevant to the instant invention. Gonsoulin in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,159 disclosed a table structure that fits over the entire front passenger seat to provide a work surface for desk-top computer. It is very bulky in size and precludes carrying a front seat passenger. Frank and Jewel in U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,665 disclosed a computer housing that opens and closes substantially like an attache case and attaches to the vehicle steering wheel by means of two exterior hooks. This invention positions the screen of the computer at chest level, which is too low, and limits the screen opening to little more than 90.degree. relative to the keyboard, therefore rendering the viewing of the computer screen extremely difficult, if not impossible. The screen should ideally be at eye level relative to the driver, and be open between 135.degree. to 160.degree. relative to the keyboard. In addition, the keyboard juts out horizontally between the wheel and the user, creating a very cramped and uncomfortable milieu. It appears necessary to have to slide the driver's seat backwards to create elbow room each time this invention is used. Lastly, the mechanical fulcrum of the Frank and Jewel invention is such that tremendous stress would be placed in the vicinity of the hinge of the computer housing when the weight of the arms are placed against the housing in actual use. Douglas in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,805 disclosed a clipboard with top and bottom flanges that engages the upper and lower portions of the steering wheel. No means of supporting a computing device is provided. Likewise, Easterly in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,988 disclosed a steering wheel mounted desk board with a specially contoured mounting undersurface to protect against horn activation that is also not suitable for use in conjunction with a computing device. White in U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,607 disclosed a clipboard securable to a steering wheel by means of a top hook and a bottom strap. Like Douglas, it has no means of supporting a portable computer.
None of the prior art was designed to keep a portable computer from sliding off a slanted work surface, or to provide a comfortable wrist rest. Nor do any of them have provisions for variably adjusting the tilt angle of the work surface to accommodate for the different viewing angle limitations of different laptop computers, and optical interference from ambient lighting. Many laptop computers have screens that can open only to 135.degree., relative to the keyboard. The clarity of the flat panel screen is easily impaired by suboptimal viewing angle and by reflections from ambient light. Inside an automobile, typically only minimal shading from the sun is available. Depending on the time of day, bright sun light shining through the vehicle windows at variable angles all the more create suboptimal screen viewing conditions. Therefore a tilt adjustable feature is extremely important as it bears directly on the user's ability to view the screen clearly.